Summary
Dating sims have gotten creative as developers are going beyond the simple guy-meets-girl narrative format. Many of them introduced interesting mechanics that not only make the chase for the perfect partner worthwhile but also make the games stand out in a sea of dating sims. An upcoming title that caught the attention of many gamers isDate Everything, developed by Sassy Chap Games and published byTeam17.
Date Everythingis a sandbox dating simthat lets players interact and build relationships with their furniture, who transform into humans with interesting personalities and intriguing dialogue. The game follows a protagonist who loses their job to AI, and later receives a pair of magical glasses called “dateviators,” which make the items in their house come alive.Date Everything’s premise is already entertaining, but the fact that there are 100 fully voice-acted dateables with at least three endings each is equally impressive.Date Everythingdoesn’t have an official release date yet, so there’s still time to add certain features that will further amplify the gameplay.
Features Date Everything Should Include
Gifting Mechanic
Gifting in dating sims, and even farming sims, is key to progressing friendships and relationships with NPCs. This feature can also add depth toDate Everythingbecause players can find out the characters' favorite items and hobbies, and use that information to their advantage. Likewise, there should be a wide range of unique gifts to choose from. It would be interesting to see how this would work, especially with characters like Dorian the Door, who’s said to have 17 variants with different personalities.
Of course, there should also be a limit to gift-giving inDate Everything. InStardew Valleyand other similar games, players are only allowed to give gifts twice per week to prevent them from spamming NPCs. It’s a great way to balance out the relationship-building aspect, making sure that the players also enjoy getting to know these characters and not fast-track the process.
Dating At Home
Compared to other dating sims, it’s possible that the events ofDate Everythingwill only happen in the protagonist’s home, especially considering that they can’t bring their furniture and appliances outside to hang out. There’s still an opportunity to set up home dates that are unique to each character, like howDream Daddystructured its dating scenarios. For example, the protagonist could dance with Keyes the Piano while romantic music is playing in the background, or have a fun fashion show with Harper the Hamper.
Additionally, the conversations could also dictate how the relationship would go.Date Everythingplayers must choose the right response or action to verify that the date goes smoothly, and that their relationship with the NPCs will progress. If not, a bad date could reduce their chances of successfully romancing their chosen character(s).
Multiple Partners
It’s uncommon for a lot of dating sims to have multiple partners in one playthrough, which is why many people replay games to date other characters. With100 romance optionsavailable,Date Everythingcould open up the possibility of romancing more than one character, which would create an interesting dynamic between the NPCs and an intriguing storyline all throughout.
Date Everythingcould just put a cap on the number of people that the protagonist can date. But if the developer is ambitious, it could allow players to literally romance all 100 characters, and even give out an achievement for it.
Mini Games
To add more fun,Date Everythingcould include mini-games, like match-3 puzzles andrhythm games. This could be a great way to earn currency to buy gifts and power-ups, or even improve their relationships with the NPCs.
